‘Write us off at your peril’

ROB HENDERSON, though facing a six-week injury lay-off, believes Munster are still in a healthy state as they bid to regain their Heineken Cup momentum.

Saturday's crushing loss to Gloucester was doubly painful for the 2001 Lion as a damaged arm will keep him out of competition until the end of November. But he believes he will be returning to a side with plenty still to play for in Europe's premier competition.

"We need to win the next three games but I am confident the lads can take the first step against Perpignan on Saturday," Henderson said yesterday.

"The squad has been badly hit by injury but the good thing is that, if we can hang in there over these games, we should be back to full strength for the last two games against Perpignan away and Gloucester at home."

Henderson dismissed suggestions that Munster were a spent force adding that the quality of the side is superb.

"We're still a pretty formidable side and I wouldn't bet against us over the next three games.

"Anyone who writes Munster off at this stage will do so at their peril."

This latest injury is sadly the latest in a long list of woes for Henderson. A knee ligament tear sustained on the Lions tour ruled him out for months. A groin strain followed quickly after he recovered from major rehab before an ankle injury ruled him out of the Irish tour to New Zealand this summer.

"Everything was going great until I snagged my arm against Gloucester but these things happen," he said matter of factly. "It's a question of keeping the head down, facing the operation and working my way back to full fitness. There is no point crying about it. Instead, I'll just have to give myself enough time to make a full recovery and that shouldn't be any longer than six weeks."

The good news for the moment in Ulster is that Jeremy Davidson, David Humphreys and Jonathan Bell are all likely to line out against Cardiff at Ravenhill on Friday night.

Davidson was forced out of the Northampton match last week with a "dead leg", while Bell suffered a similar injury during the match. Humphreys sustained a knee injury which will be assessed by a consultant in Belfast today.

Yet coach Alan Solomons was confident enough to name all three in the team for the clash which he describes as "crucial".

Both sides lost their opening-round Pool 6 matches, Cardiff going down at home to Biarritz Olympique and Ulster away to 2000 Heineken Cup winners Northampton.

"We are in a very tough group and, to stand any chance of progressing to the knock-out stages, we will have to win all our home games and then look to pick up a win or two away from Belfast," said Solomons.

"Northampton were a very powerful outfit and you could see from the game between Cardiff and Biarritz just how good a side are the French champions."

Solomons is aware of the difficulties Ulster face. "We have all realised that the pace of the game in the Heineken Cup is a lot quicker than in the Celtic League. There is a substantial step up from the rugby we have been playing so far this season.

"Having a Sunday match and then playing on the following Friday has put the pressure on us because it does not give the players much time to recover."

And as far as Cardiff coach David Young goes, he will be calling for a more disciplined display from his side in Belfast. "We keep letting ourselves down a little bit with yellow cards and it may be something we need to address," said the former Lions and Wales prop. "But all I have asked the players for since I took charge is 150% and they gave that again against Biarritz."

Meanwhile, Connacht, for the first time in 11 games this season, have named an unchanged side for the second leg of their Parker Pen Challenge Cup first-round tie against Mont de Marsan at Crowley Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).

Connacht won the first leg in France 26-12 on Saturday evening but with Fiji sevens maestro Waisale Serevi dictating matters at No 10, Steph Nel's men will take nothing for granted, not least as the French side have little to lose coming to Galway.

The game is going ahead at the home of Galwegians as work has now started on the redevelopment of the Sportsground, which will see a new stand in place for the start of next season, in addition to the new Connacht Rugby headquarters which will open next month.

Connacht do not have any new injury worries, although captain Tim Allnutt and one of the two vice-captains, Warwick Waugh, are still out through injury. Shane Moore will again lead them into action. There are two changes on the Connacht bench. Mike Walls is named as replacement scrum-half, while Alan Maher is drafted in to provide cover for the second row.

CONNACHT (v Mont de Marsan, Crowley Park, Galway, Saturday 3 pm): G Duffy; J Norton, D Yapp, S Moore (capt), W Munn; E Elwood, E Reddan; R McCormack, M Uijs, P Bracken; D Browne, R Frost; C Rigney, J O'Connor, J O'Sullivan. Replacements: D McFarland, J Flannery, A Maher, P Neville, M Walls, M McHugh, T Robinson.

ULSTER: B Cunningham; J Topping; S Stewart; J Bell; T Howe; D Humphreys; N Doak; J Fitzpatrick; M Sexton; R Kempson; G Longwell; J Davidson (capt); W Brosnihan; N McMillan; T McWhirter Replacements: S Best, P Shields; M Blair; N Best; K Campbell; A Larkin; S Young.